News

Authorities in the Bashkortostan Republic (Volga) in western Russia have approved a strategy that could see investments of between US$7.77 billion (RUB 249.7bn) and US$19.04 billion (RUB 612.2bn) to develop and improve regional and inter-municipal public roads by 2030.

A Mexican contractor is now carrying out construction work on a new 8km road tunnel in the country’s Guerrero State. The project is expected to cost some US$272.6 million. The work is being carried out by the contractor ICA. The project will help improve connectivity for Acapulco. The country is pushing through a series of major infrastructure works in order to improve connectivity. Mexico’s vehicle population is also growing fast, reflecting the country’s economic development. The country’s capital, Mexico

The tender process will open shortly in Bangladesh for the construction of the new Padma Bridge project. The project is expected to be worth in the order of US$ 1.18 billion. The tender process will open on 30th June 2013 and this will be the country’s biggest infrastructure project. Meanwhile the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will supply a series of loans worth $198 million to Bangladesh, which will be used to upgrade two ports and an existing highway link. The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (

Japan is providing funding for infrastructure works in Tanzania. A grant from Japan will fund the construction of the Tazara flyover. Work on the project is expected to begin in July-December 2013. Meanwhile the Japanese Government is also funding a road project close to capital Dar-es-Salaam. This project comprises construction of a new dual-lane bridge in Gerezani as well as widening a 1.3km section of road that lies between the of Kilwa and Kamata intersections. The road will become a dual carriageway. I

Interest is said to be strong for the Pacífico 1, Pacífico 2 and Pacífico 3 highway concession projects in Colombia. At present the country’s national infrastructure agency, ANI, has 56 expressions of interest for the three highway concessions in Antioquia Department. The projects feature a total estimated investment of US$2.16 billion.

Plans are being worked on for an upgrade to the 2,083km Pan—Borneo highway. The Malaysian Government is discussing options with regard to the highway, which connects Sarawak's Sematan, with Brunei and Sabah's Serudung. The work is expected to require five years to be carried out and would also include constructing link roads. The project is expected to cost in the order of US$3.23 billion and Malaysian contractor Naim Holdings is amongst the leading bidders for the work. The highway project forms part of an

The Tunisian Government is setting out plans for a new ring road to be constructed in the Greater Tunis area. This 80km ring road project is expected to cost in the region of US$365 million to construct. The project forms part of a series of works in the country intended to improve connectivity. Tunisia is being connected to the new North African highway, which will run some 5,600km in total from Morocco to Egypt when it is complete. However Tunisia, like many North African nations, does have a comparativel

A new report by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) in the US reveals that injury severity has increased in the US state of Michigan following a change to helmet laws. The study is based on data taken from insurance claims and shows that these costs have increased substantially since the helmet law was changed in Michigan back in 2012. Previous to the law change motorcyclists in Michigan were required to wear helmets whilst riding, which had been in place for over 40 years. The law was changed and only m

In Peru, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima is expected to approve in August 2013 a US$400 million underground viaduct project, including a 10km double-carriage way road and a 1.5km tunnel under the Cerro Centinela. The private initiative submitted by Spanish construction firm OHL will connect the La Molina and Miraflores districts. Once approved, the proposal will be tendered for 90 days, and should no other company bid for it, OHL will negotiate the contract and begin construction immediately. Work on

Austrian transport club VCÖ has called for the number of kilometres travelled in private vehicles to be reduced by 55% by 2050 to cut time lost by goods transporters in traffic jams - said by VCÖ to be costing the Austrian economy US$5.23 billion (€4 billion) a year. According to VCÖ spokesperson Christian Gratzer, non-passenger transporters must be able to complete their journeys on time in order to improve competitiveness. Gratzer said the 55% reduction in private vehicle journey distance was particular

A British student hopes his new hologram road signs which ‘pulse’ at drivers will lead to a revolution in the way motorists are given information on the roads. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) undergraduate Charles Gale has already obtained a patent for his design and is set to meet with transport officials to discuss how it could be used across the UK.

The Nigerian government has completed a project costing US$796.71 million (NGN 126bn) to restore 32 roads covering a combined 2,000kms. The federal government will also upgrade nine railway stations across the country on public private partnerships (PPPs). Mike Onolememen, the Minister of Works in Nigeria, is reported by African media to have told the recent 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja, Nigeria that the extensive improvements meant that the country’s roads can no longer be described as “death traps”.

Spanish companies Sacyr, ACS and OHL will take part in three of the consortia that will bid in the US$740 million contract to build the longest suspension bridge in Chile. Works for the 2.5km Chacao Bridge, connecting the island of Chiloe and Chile's coast line, are expected to be awarded during the first quarter of 2014, with construction due to begin in 2015.